Holding - Luck could decide Champions

published by ikhan on Fri, 06/07/2013 - 12:53

Gulf News article.

London: Legendary West Indies pacer Michael Holding does not like to commit on who he thinks will win the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, but he made some interesting observations based on his experience.

Holding, who is working as a commentator here, said: “The shorter the tournament, the more luck will be the [main] factor.”

The 59-year-old considers the current West Indies team to be an impressive one. “We have good match winners in Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, but I consider South Africa as the best for any format,” he said. “This does not mean they will win the tournament, as India have some outstanding batsmen and England in their conditions can be tough to beat.”

When asked who the players to watch out for are, he said: “Of course Gayle and Dale Steyn. England’s Jimmy Anderson too might do well.”

Holding, who was known for his beautiful bowling action and immaculate line and length, made an interesting observation about today’s international bowlers. “When I played, if you bowled your ten overs for 40 runs we used to feel ashamed. Today the attitude towards batting has changed so much that a bowler conceding only 40 runs is considered very good.”